DeKalb men flee crash following aborted Sycamore police pursuit

DeKALB – Two DeKalb man fled on foot from the scene of a vehicle crash Thursday, and were later found by police K-9 units after a multi-agency chase that involved dogs and a drone.

No one was injured in the crash, which occurred at 9:33 a.m. Thursday at the corner of Annie Glidden and Rich roads. Two people in the suspect vehicle fled the scene before first responders could arrive, however, according to a news release from the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office.

DeKalb County sheriff Chief Deputy Jim Burgh said Sycamore police attempted a traffic stop on a 2009 Chevrolet Malibu for speeding and improper lane passing, but stopped pursuing when the driver fled in the Malibu.

“They gave up on that and let it go,” Burgh said. “Then a short time later, it must have kept going at a high rate of speed and went through the intersection of a four-way stop at Annie Glidden and Rich Road and struck a north bound car that was just entering the intersection.”

Sycamore Police Sgt. John Keacher said a Sycamore officer saw the Malibu drive west in excess of 70 miles per hour on Coltonville and Rich roads shortly before the crash.

Law enforcement said they didn’t see the crash at the intersection themselves but recognized the vehicle once they responded to the scene.

The driver of a 2024 Toyota Camry, a 44-year-old DeKalb woman, was struck by the Malibu, authorities said. She received medical care on the scene from paramedics with the DeKalb Fire Department, but was not taken to a hospital for further assessment.

The Malibu’s driver, Adale Cross, 31, and lone passenger, a 29-year-old man, abandoned the vehicle and fled the scene of the crash on foot, authorities said.

Police began searching for the men on foot. Authorities said they don’t yet know why the men fled the initial traffic stop.

“We caught both of them at a farm house just to the east there,” Burgh said. “The driver has a suspended license but beyond that we don’t have any other reason for it, they wouldn’t really tell us.”

Cross was cited by police for driving without a license, fleeing law enforcement and fleeing the scene of a crash, according to the sheriff’s office. The driver also was cited for reckless driving, passing in a no passing zone, failure to render aid at the scene of a crash, disobeying a stop sign, speeding and driving without insurance.

Burgh said an Illinois State Police K-9 unit was near a DeKalb exit on Interstate-88 when the search was initiated, and was the first to track down the men.

The ISP unit found the men first, though were quickly joined by the sheriff’s office’s K-9 unit and drone operator.

“Our K-9 was at home but we called him out, he responded and then we put our drone in the air to start looking for these guys,” Burgh said. “The K-9, the state police K-9 did a scent track and tracked them to a building or barn on that property.”

Burgh said the suspected complied with officer instructions and “gave up” when found.